Uganda signs deal to host African Union humanitarian agency
The Host Country Agreement was signed at State House, Entebbe, and the agency is expected to be fully operational within three years.
Uganda has signed a Host Country Agreement with the African Union to base the continental humanitarian agency's headquarters in the country. The signing took place on Wednesday at State House, Entebbe, and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni witnessed it. Attorney General Sam Mayanja signed for the Ugandan government, while Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, the AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, signed for the Union.
Museveni said the headquarters would help coordinate aid, including food and other essential supplies for people hit by disasters and emergencies. Mayanja said Uganda scored 85 per cent in the selection process. He said the establishment process will begin in December 2026 and take about three years before the agency is fully operational. Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola credited Uganda's refugee policy and long record of humanitarian support for its selection.
Twum-Amoah pointed to Uganda's history of solidarity with displaced people and to Kampala's link to the 2009 Kampala Convention, the African Union's legal framework for internally displaced persons. She said the headquarters could become a continental hub for coordinating humanitarian action and mobilising support for affected populations.
Why it mattersPeople affected by disasters across the continent will receive humanitarian aid coordinated from Uganda once the agency is operational, which the government expects within three years.